Thinking Flexibly - Can you consider alternate ideas? Can you deal with more than one solution simultaneously? Is your way of solving something the only way?
I discovered that it was critical for people to think flexibly when they were facing a problem because, depending on each person’s personality, there were different ways to interpret and understand the question. Different opinions would eventually lead to diverse solutions and methods.It was a challenge for me to think flexibly because I was stubbornly attached to the first idea that I had1 in order to solve Activity 6 in the Measurement packet. The problem was to find the density of salt water that was required for a golf ball to float. My solution to the problem was to equally split the salt and alter the amounts of water to get different densities which would enable us to check which density was a better and closer fit for the golf ball to float in. However, this notion was soon rejected by my team members because this method was wasting the scarce amount of salt we had. Because I could not think of other plans, I automatically assumed that my plan was the only method that would work; I did not want to listen to others’ opinion because I thought my plan was the best. After a while, I finally stopped thinking stubbornly. The other two members carefully explain the details of what should be taken care of and what details, etc. We discussed our general understandings and ideas about this experiment. The other two members then came up with a set of directions that was able to accurately solve it without using my method. They taught me to think in other perspectives. I no longer thought I was always right. This experiment helped me become a person who is willing to think one or more different ways to solve the problem.
If you never change your mind, why have one? - De Bono
I discovered that it was critical for people to think flexibly when they were facing a problem because, depending on each person’s personality, there were different ways to interpret and understand the question. Different opinions would eventually lead to diverse solutions and methods. It was a challenge for me to think flexibly because I was stubbornly attached to the first idea that I had 1 in order to solve Activity 6 in the Measurement packet. The problem was to find the density of salt water that was required for a golf ball to float. My solution to the problem was to equally split the salt and alter the amounts of water to get different densities which would enable us to check which density was a better and closer fit for the golf ball to float in. However, this notion was soon rejected by my team members because this method was wasting the scarce amount of salt we had. Because I could not think of other plans, I automatically assumed that my plan was the only method that would work; I did not want to listen to others’ opinion because I thought my plan was the best. After a while, I finally stopped thinking stubbornly. The other two members carefully explain the details of what should be taken care of and what details, etc. We discussed our general understandings and ideas about this experiment. The other two members then came up with a set of directions that was able to accurately solve it without using my method. They taught me to think in other perspectives. I no longer thought I was always right. This experiment helped me become a person who is willing to think one or more different ways to solve the problem.
If you never change your mind, why have one? - De Bono
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